Welcome Back to Japan
by AttackOnTetris
Summary: Highschool AU. Ryuko transfers to the Academy, no one has kamuis or is related. She meets Satsuki who's kind of an asshole, but hey, takes one to know one, right? Shenanigans ensue. Lots of fluff. T for language and later happenings, might change later.
1. This Can't Be Healthy

Honnouji Academy. They say it's a military school, due to its enormity and otherwise questionable punishment tactics, but being from an actual military school herself, Ryuko Matoi knew that this belief was incorrect.

Dressed in what she wore on the plane (blue jeans, t-shirt, jacket, scarf) Ryuko stared up at the break-neck size of the academy entrance. With a sigh, she readjusted the bag on her shoulder and began her trek to her homeroom class.

"Damn!" She swore, after almost an hour of going in circles, a sheen of sweat was starting to form on her brow, "Are there no maps in this shit-hole?!" As soon as the words left her lips, a girl maybe a year older than her walked around the corner. She was only a little taller than Ryuko, maybe three to four inches, and was wearing a very professional-looking pantsuit with heels that made Ryuko almost take the time to stare.

"Shit-hole?" the girl said, all business, "They say you can only judge such a place like that by the turds that walk through it. So, seeing that you are in this building, I guess your statement is correct." Her stare was so piercing that Ryuko felt like she was being looked at under a microscope.

"…Did you just call me a piece of shit?" Ryuko couldn't believe what she just heard, "I thought the Japanese were supposed to be polite, at least, that's what I remember it being like when I lived here the first time." The girl held her stare, with a weird, almost imperceptible smirk on her face. "We are polite, but this is Honnouji Academy, Transfer Student. You don't just walk around calling it a shit-hole."

Ryuko knew a challenge when she saw one, "You know, I read about this place. They say you guys make students fight each other over what clothes they're allowed to wear. What's up with that?" The older girl's frown deepened, "That's none of your concern. Now, stop wasting time and get to your class. I'll lead the way, since it's become apparent that you are incompetent with directions." With that, she spun on her heel and started a fast pace up the stairs on the right.

Panting by the time they got to the class, Ryuko muttered a quick thanks to the older girl and mentally prepared herself for the large number of eyes that were about to be trained on her. "Your name is Ryuko Matoi, correct?" The girl wasn't even looking at her as she asked, eyes lingering into the classroom, "Uh, yeah. That's me… How'd you know that?"

This time, Ryuko got a good look at this new girl from the insane academy she would now be attending. The first thing she noticed and couldn't believe they weren't the first thing she saw were the girl's eyebrows; exceptionally huge, but at the same time, almost elegant. The rest of her face was utterly flawless and Ryuko was totally staring. _Shit, she's really pretty, _Ryuko thought with a slight flush.

"I know your name because I'm the Student Council President, I suppose I should've introduced myself earlier. I'm Satsuki Kiryuin." Satsuki moved to open the door to the class and looked at Ryuko expectantly. "Wow, I never thought a Student Council President would be caught calling a new student a piece of shit at first glance… but hey, I guess you learn something new everyday." Ryuko said with a grin, daring Satsuki to defend herself.

The hand at the door went back to her side and with a look that could kill she said, "I built this Academy from the ground up, do you understand? I don't appreciate when people like you belittle my work, and believe me when I say this, I can have you cut down at any moment." Ryuko's smirk disappeared. _Damn, too bad she's a freaking bitch_.

Putting up her hands in mock surrender she clarified, "I was just joking, chill out, holy shit." With an eye roll and a deep sigh, Satsuki resumed her way to the door motioning Ryuko to follow her inside.

"Sorry to interrupt, but the Transfer Student has just arrived." Satsuki started, "Her name is Ryuko Matoi, and she's come all the way from America." The students voiced their awe and began their staring contest with Ryuko, who was standing awkwardly next to Satsuki in the front of the class, wishing the day could be over already.

"Now, take your seat next to Ms. Mankanshoku." Looking in the direction of Satsuki's eyes, Ryuko saw a girl with brown hair that made her head look like a coconut. The girl began to wave frantically and point to the only empty seat in the class. Ryuko just sluggishly made her way over and sat down.

"Hey! I'm Mako Mankanshoku! Your hair is really cool! I like it! So what part of America are you from? Can you understand what I'm saying? You speak Japanese? How come you look bored? Is Japan not that exciting?" Ryuko's head was about to explode, "Holy crap, that's a lot of questions… Uh, first off I'm not from America, I'm originally from Japan but my family moved away when I was like, eight. Yes, I speak Japanese and can understand what you're saying. No, I'm not bored, just tired from the flight here, Japan isn't boring, calm down."

Ryuko felt a headache start to form, but at the way Mako's face lit up at her answers it went away just as fast. "WOW! That's so cool!" Mako said. Ryuko looked to the front of the class to see that Satsuki was stealing glances at her while receiving some documents from the teacher. Ryuko grinned and gave her a small wave. Satsuki just stared back before tearing her eyes away, thanking the teacher, and walking calmly out of the class.

After the day had ended, Ryuko was gladly packing up her things ready to get the hell out of there when Mako came rushing into the class. "Ryuko! Come to my house tonight, my mom is making her famous Croquettes!" The thought of food made Ryuko's stomach growl, only having shitty airplane food the entire day. She grabbed her jacket and bag, following a very cheerful Mako outside and down the street. "Lead the way, Mako."

* * *

"Hey, it's been a couple months since you transferred, huh?" Mako asked as they began their hike up the stairs at the mouth of the academy. "Yep, and guess what, this place is actually better than military school!" Ryuko said with a chuckle, "Who knew?" Mako just gave what Ryuko was becoming to understand was her signature sign of glee. That being a face-splitting grin coupled with a peace sign and closed eyes. Classic.

They climbed the rest of the way in silence while Ryuko's mind wandered towards the Student Council President again. She had only seen her a handful of times since their initial meeting, but damn, did Satsuki look good in pantsuits. Ryuko felt her face heat up at the thought. _Why am I thinking about her like that? She's a total dick! _

Just as her and Mako turned the corner to the hall of their classroom, Ryuko thought she was about to have an aneurism. By the door of the class stood none other than Satsuki Kiryuin. Dressed in what Ryuko would vote for hottest outfit of the millennium. "Oh, yeah! I forgot today was the fundraiser for the Student Council! Our class voted on the Maid-Café, right? Wow, look at Satsuki! She's so cute as a maid!"

Mako grabbed Ryuko's arm and started running towards the classroom while Ryuko tried to keep the blood from pouring out of her nose with her other hand. She knew her face was a tomato by the way Mako looked at her when they stopped in front of Satsuki.

"Ryuko? Are you okay? I didn't think I ran that fast…" Mako's concern was the least of Ryuko's worries though, by looking at Satsuki who had an almost indistinct grin tugging at her lips and knowing what it meant.

"Ah, Mako, I'm fine! I just wasn't expecting you to tug me along like that, that's all!" Ryuko said with a nervous smile. Mako just looked at her mulling over the events and nodded, walking into the classroom.

"Like what you see, Matoi?" Ryuko stiffened and shifted her eyes from the classroom to Satsuki, who looked like she was trying not to burst out laughing. Ryuko just grunted and rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, if you like girls with poles up their asses. What are you doing here anyway, don't you have some other students to council?" Satsuki just snorted and said, "If you must know, since this is a Student Council fundraiser it would require me, the President, to attend, participate, and watch over the events, wouldn't it?"

Fixing her jacket from Mako's earlier treatment, Ryuko just nodded, stealing a final glance down Satsuki's body. A classic maid outfit to the core, apron and all, Ryuko scratched at the nape of her neck, an old nervous habit, and turned to enter the classroom.

"Yeah, well, I've got some shit to do, so see you later, Eyebrows!" Now it was Satsuki's turn to flush. A hand shot out and grabbed Ryuko's jacket down by her hip, twisting her back around. Ryuko was met with a fuming Satsuki who just stared her down.

They looked at each other for what felt like hours daring the other to look away, knowing who did so first would be labeled as the weaker of the two. Suddenly, a crash sounded from behind Ryuko, back in the classroom, effectively ending their starring contest.

Who other to come out with a guilty smile from a pile of broken plates but Mako, Ryuko just snorted and went to help her clean up, Satsuki and her outfit mostly forgotten.

* * *

A/N: Hey everyone! I want to do the characters justice, so tell me if they're a little OOC. Any comments/reviews are appreciated

Thanks!

EDIT: I fixed some typos and the format of the paragraphs :) thanks for the reviews!


	2. Breaking All Illusions

Saturday was Ryuko's favorite day of the week. Not only was there no school, but also every place was open until midnight, meaning she could stay up longer than normal. She liked time to herself as well. So, while standing in line at the Starbucks connected to a local Barnes & Noble going through her mental list of favorite drinks, the last thought on her mind was running into someone from the Academy, least of all the Student Council President.

"Matoi, I didn't know you knew how to read." Ryuko straightened her posture immediately out of habit, turning to look behind her to find Satsuki staring her down.

"Very funny, is that how you pick up girls? If so, it's not very effective." Ryuko deadpanned. Satsuki just raised a brow, "Interesting choice of response, Transfer Student. Speaking of which, how is the transition?"

Ryuko was surprised to say the least, "Uh, it's going well, I suppose… although, I think you guys put me in the wrong math course."

"All new students must start from the offered schedule. If I remember correctly we decided to put you in the math corresponding to your grade." Satsuki wasn't even looking at her, but at the menu, since they were getting closer to the front of the line.

"Oh, uh, o-okay then." Ryuko didn't feel like arguing with her, she was too distracted by Satsuki's outfit. She wore a plain white button down matched with a long teal skirt and short heels. Satsuki caught her stare, "You look at me often, and for a long time. Is there something on my face that I routinely haven't seen since I've met you?"

Ryuko felt the heat creeping onto her face, "No, I just—... The way you dress is—… Uh, well you see—"

"Next in line!" Saved by the cashier, Ryuko whirled around and ordered her drink, paid, and slinked into a nearby chair. Satsuki did the same, much to Ryuko's embarrassment.

"So, the way I dress is…?" She prompted her to continue with an unyielding stare. "Uh, the way you dress is… uh, it's nice, okay? Shit, do you do that to everyone? Fucking stare at them until they give you a compliment?" Ryuko was beginning to feel annoyed.

"Contrary to popular opinion, no, I don't stare at people until they give me what I want." Apparently she thought to amend her statement, "I mean, most people just tell me the truth out of fear." Her frown deepened at that, it almost made Ryuko feel bad for her.

Once their drinks were ready, Ryuko turned to go get a book she had wanted to look at for a while, while Satsuki unexpectedly followed. "Don't you have something better to do?" Ryuko asked, agitated.

"Not, really. I'm also interested in what books you apparently read, seeing as we're in the academic section of the store. Having trouble already? We have tutors avail—" Satsuki cut herself off at Ryuko picking up a book on Linear Algebra with a considerable amount attentiveness. Sitting down in the middle of the aisle, Ryuko began to leaf through the pages, occasionally sipping at her coffee. Satsuki's eyebrows were about to reach the stratosphere.

"You—you understand that stuff?" She asked hesitantly, head reeling at the thought. "Huh? Oh, yeah! It's just a bunch of matrices and proofs I've wanted to look at for this problem I've been trying to solve." Ryuko let out a tiny laugh, "I'm pretty good at math. Although, most teachers fail me just cause I don't show much of the work." Satsuki thought she looked a little gloomy at that.

"Well, hey, if you understand it then I guess you must be bored out of your mind in the class you're in right now. I can get the teachers to move you up a few classes, if you want. I'll talk to them on Monday." Satsuki moved to sit down next to Ryuko who had her mouth opening and closing like a fish with wide eyes.

"For real? You would do that for me?" Ryuko was beginning to feel excited at the thought of a more challenging class. Satsuki just hummed her approval, and sipped at her tea. Ryuko was about to explode out of delight, eyes dancing with mirth coupled with a shit-eating grin she leaned over and whispered, "Hey, come here I wanna show you something."

Satsuki looked a bit apprehensive at the thought, but scooted closer to her anyway. What she didn't expect was the kiss Ryuko planted on her cheek and a whisper of appreciation. As soon as it happened, though, Ryuko went back to looking at her theory book with a small smile. Satsuki just flushed and fiddled with her drink, lips turning the slightest bit upward.

"Maybe you're not a total bitch after all!" Ryuko snickered. Satsuki grunted and whacked her on the back of her head, hard. "This is what I get for being nice? What the hell!"

* * *

A/N: The next chapter will be longer, I kinda fixed the format of the paragraphs so they're not so bunched up. Anyway, please leave your thoughts! I think this story is going to be super cute, so just hang in there!


	3. Dark Paradise

Walking into her new math class on Monday, Ryuko had a new spring in her step. She got into the highest course, after taking a test the day before online to make sure she could actually handle the curriculum, and even had it the first class of the day! _My life fuckin' rocks_ Ryuko thought, sitting in a vacant seat. Needless to say when the person next to her dropped their pencil, Ryuko wasn't expecting to brush hands with the Student Council President, yet again.

"W-What the shit? You're in this class?" Their proximity didn't go unnoticed by Satsuki, who saw that their noses were almost only two inches apart and fingers still grazing against each other.

"We have to stop meeting like this." Satsuki groused, undisturbed. Ryuko, just now noticing, reeled back into her seat and grumbled, "Wow, what a shitty pick-up line. Was that supposed to be a joke?" Putting both hands in her lap, Ryuko turned to look at Satsuki, who had her hair up today. _God Bless, is it legal for someone to be this hot? _Ryuko could feel the tips of her ears getting warmer by the second.

"I thought it convenient for the given situation, that's all." Satsuki was actually looking at Ryuko this time, and Ryuko couldn't help but stare back. Seeing the short hairs on the back of her neck that didn't make it into the neat-but-messy bun on Satsuki's head made Ryuko overcome with desire to tug at them.

Ryuko just swallowed roughly and ducked her head to the side, effectively hiding her eyes behind her hair. "Well, I guess we'll be in here together until the end of the year, huh?" Ryuko assessed as she put her chin in her hand, feigning boredom. "Fan-fucking-tastic." Satsuki just hummed and went back to the paperwork on her desk.

Almost halfway through the class, though, a massive thunderstorm began. Ryuko heard a group of students in the back corner taking bets on how long it would take for the lights to go out. Judging by the fact that the flashes of lightning were getting closer and closer to the thunder claps, Ryuko mentally bet on ten minutes.

Low and behold, not even five minutes went by and the lights went out, leaving the room almost pitch black. Students were having a field day. Some stupid girl in the back actually screamed, Ryuko couldn't believe these idiots.

Looking over at Satsuki, she noticed something a bit off about her. Staring straight ahead, eyes unmoving, hands gripping the sides of the desk, and her jaw flexing every two seconds, she looked more than a little alarmed. "Hey, are you okay?" Ryuko leaned over into her personal space to try and get her attention, ultimately failing. Satsuki was unresponsive.

Putting her hand over Satsuki's death grip on the desk, Ryuko rubbed her thumb over her knuckles. "Satsuki. Look at me." Touching her was most likely what pulled her out of her catatonic state, because she flinched and spun her head to face Ryuko at break-neck speed breathing deeply through her nose as if coming out of a spell, gripping the desk even harder.

"Hey, it's alright. The lights are gonna come back on in a bit, no big deal. It'll be fine, we'll be fine, and it's okay. They'll fix it, just hold on a bit longer." Ryuko murmured while still rubbing her hand. Satsuki just stared at her incredulously, her mouth suddenly dry. "What?" Ryuko was hastily becoming more and more self-conscious the longer Satsuki looked at her like that.

Satsuki just blinked and began to calm herself down, looking around the classroom to see mostly everyone on their phones or talking to each other, totally unaffected. Ryuko's hand was warm and surprisingly gentle. Satsuki decided to focus on that. Betrayed by her thoughts, Satsuki's hand loosened its grip on the desk and let a few of her fingers come between Ryuko's.

When Satsuki's thumb started to run over Ryuko's own, she heard Ryuko's breath hitch from beside her. Still not looking at each other their fingers kept on in mutual comfort. Ryuko snuck a glance at Satsuki out of the corner of her eye and saw that she had almost fully calmed down. She couldn't help the embarrassed smile that crept on her face at the situation. Her other hand scratching at her nape again, Ryuko was totally and utterly disappointed when the lights came on a few minutes later.

Before untangling their fingers from each other, Satsuki signified her thanks with a final squeeze of her hand. _Who knew she could be so cute? _Ryuko thought with a grin.

The rest of the class went on without further interruption, except when a note was haphazardly thrown on Ryuko's desk. Not caring if the teacher saw, Ryuko read it on the spot: '_Meet me after school behind the gym._ _–Satsuki' _A smirk forming on her lips Ryuko just turned and whispered, "Is this a hook-up? I'm not really into behind the dumpster sex."

Satsuki just play dry-heaved and flipped her off. Ryuko couldn't help but chuckle. "Yeah, yeah. I guess I can't say no to a meeting with the Great and Powerful Oz."

* * *

"Wait! So you're gonna meet the Student Council President right now, Ryuko?! What did you do? Don't tell me you hit her! She's not that bad, you just need to learn to control your rage." Ryuko was just laughing at Mako's side while they walked to the gym after school. "No, Mako, I didn't hit her! She just told me to meet her here after school, that's all." Ryuko was looking around but the President was nowhere to be seen.

"Hey, you think she stood you up? What! Don't look at me like that, Ryuko! I was just saying!" Ryuko just fixed her with her best deadpan stare, "Mako, it's not a date, freakin' chill! Look, there she is, now go on home and wait for me, I'll be back by the time your mom is done cooking dinner." Mako just shrugged and gave Ryuko a quick hug and ran off looking for the cable car that went to her neighborhood.

"I see you're on time. Good to know someone in this school is punctual." Satsuki said as she walked up to Ryuko. Looking around, Ryuko noticed that they were completely alone. "There aren't any afterschool sport activities today, in case you were wondering why this area is deserted." Satsuki explained. Ryuko just nodded and readjusted the bag on her shoulder.

"So. What's up, Eyebrows?" Ryuko initiated, grinning like a Cheshire cat. Satsuki, however, didn't even flinch. Squaring her shoulders, suddenly all business she said, "I would appreciate it if you would forget today's events."

Now Ryuko was confused. "Wha—What do you mean? 'Forget today's events'?" Ryuko's heart nearly fell into her stomach. _Did I cross a line earlier? Shit! Way to fuck it up, Matoi!_ Her anguish must've shown on her face, because Satsuki blinked and revised her statement.

"I—I meant to say that, I would appreciate it if you didn't go around telling people about what happened during the thunderstorm today." She finished by looking at a timid Ryuko who, by this time, was staring at her crappy old not-so-white sneakers. Satsuki then amended her statement once again; "I just don't want people to know I don't like dark places, that's all."

Ryuko snapped her head up at that. "You—you mean you just don't want people to know you're afraid of the dark?" Satsuki's eyebrows furrowed, "I'm not afraid of the dark." Ryuko snorted, "Uh, yeah, okay. We'll go with that, I guess."

Ryuko noticed that Satsuki's light flush began to creep down her neck to the top of her chest. She swallowed roughly and looked back up at Satsuki's face, which, luckily for Ryuko, was ducked down towards the ground in humiliation.

Ryuko sighed and closed the distance between them, putting a hand on Satsuki's shoulder looking her right in the eye, "Hey, guess what, I'm deathly afraid of spiders. One time, I woke up from a nightmare when I was a kid and one was fucking coming down from the ceiling about to jump on me! It even chomped its fucking pinchers at me when it was plummeting down to my face! Still gives me the creeps talking about it."

Satsuki rested her forehead on Ryuko's, "You're so dramatic. Why are you telling me this anyway?" Ryuko just rolled her eyes, "Because everyone is afraid of something, and there's nothing wrong with admitting it to others. It doesn't make you weak." Ryuko's hand moved from Satsuki's shoulder to her neck, playing with the baby hairs like she wanted to that morning. "But, if you really care that much I won't spill the beans about you and your total not-fear of the dark… wasn't like I was gonna go shout it from the rooftops anyway."

Finally noticing the position they were in, both girls simultaneously jerked away coughing and horribly failing at hiding their blushes. "So, uh, we good here, Eyebrows? I don't wanna miss the last cable car to Mako's house." Ryuko said as she stuffed her hands in her pockets.

"Yeah, yeah. We're good." Satsuki regained her usual statute face and turned to go the other direction, "See you in class, Matoi."

"Yeah, see you tomorrow." Ryuko confirmed, staring at Satsuki's retreating figure and blushing even harder when she saw Satsuki's hand come up and rub the back of her neck, messing with the small hairs just as Ryuko had done earlier. _Man, she's gonna be the death of me._

* * *

A/N: Fucking cute Satsuki is afraid of the dark awwww! I know it's a little OOC but I tried to keep it within believable bounds. What do y'all think? Please feel free to leave any feedback as it would be much much appreciated. Y'all are awesome thanks for reading :)


	4. You Really Got a Hold on Me

The next month passed without incident. Instead of bickering, the two girls were slowly but surely becoming less rude and more kind to each other. Satsuki lightened up on Ryuko and they were quickly sliding into a closer relationship. Although, Ryuko would argue that Satsuki was surprisingly dense in the romance department.

Even after all the lingering touches and glances Ryuko would initiate, Satsuki would just go on without so much as a blink. Did she think it was natural? Platonic? Ryuko didn't know, but she was happy she could do these things without getting her hands chopped off at first contact. Plus, she was starting to enjoy Satsuki's company more and more anyway.

By spending more time with her, Ryuko had noticed that she didn't let that many people touch her or get in her personal space. The only person besides herself she saw touching Satsuki at all was some pink-haired girl in charge of the school's band that would always give her dirty looks if they crossed paths in the hallways.

Sighing and leaning back in her seat, Ryuko glanced over at Satsuki, who had decided to wear a very exquisite outfit that day. It was a long-sleeved white dress that looked like a military uniform with golden epaulettes on her shoulders and a gold aiguillette under her left arm. Complete with some gold and blue lining, mostly gold on the back of the dress, and thigh-high heeled boots with blue accents, Ryuko's mouth was dry just looking at her.

Looking up from her work, Satsuki noticed her stare, "Did you finish your practice test?" Bristling a bit, Ryuko just nodded and continued to gaze at Satsuki, looking at the white clips in her hair. "You're staring at me again. It's disturbing… but since I have your attention, do you think you can help me with this problem?" Satsuki asked, albeit, a little reluctantly.

She tried not to ask for Ryuko's help often, just because the way she would explain things weren't how she thought about it. Ryuko was just on a different level. Satsuki, being a natural competitor, didn't like to be beaten out by anybody, but she always gave credit where it was due: Ryuko was practically a genius when it came to math. It was humbling to say the least.

Ryuko brightened up, having something to do. "Yeah, sure! Is it the one with the graph?" She got up and hovered over Satsuki, who just hummed in conformation. Placing her left hand on the back of Satsuki's chair, getting into her personal space, Ryuko began to explain the solution, "So, you see how there are two functions on the graph? You have to choose just one—" Satsuki looked up at Ryuko in confusion, "Why? How are we supposed to know which is the right one?"

Ryuko just beamed at her, "I'm getting there, holy shit! So, which one is f(x)? If you look closely, they're labeled." she asked while pointing to the graph on the paper. "Uh, the more curved one?" Satsuki tried, leaning back on Ryuko's arm, brows furrowed in concentration. Ryuko crouched a little lower so that their cheeks were aligned, almost an inch apart. "Exactly!"

"Oh… that's it?" Satsuki was surprised it wasn't as difficult as she thought. "Yep! That's it! Hurry up and finish so we can go eat already! I'm freakin' starving!" Ryuko squeezed her shoulder before going back to her seat. The practice test was an after school activity, a little like tutoring just so the students would have a fair shot at the test the next week. Satsuki had forced Ryuko to go, due to the fact that Ryuko was on the verge of failing.

"You know if you showed more work you'd get more credit…" Satsuki started, almost mumbling. Ryuko just yawned, "Yeah, but I kinda forget to do all the little stuff and get too caught up in the atmosphere…" she chuckled, "Hey, thanks for getting me in here, by the way. I owe you big time." She turned to Satsuki with a genuine smile.

"You got yourself in here; no need to thank me." Satsuki began to pack up her things, a signal for Ryuko to do the same. Walking out of the class and down the abandoned hallway that went to the cable car station, Ryuko couldn't take it anymore.

"I like your outfit today, you look really pretty." Satsuki turned and looked at her with wide eyes and raised eyebrows, a light blush dusting her cheeks. _Gorgeous is more like it. _Ryuko thought, the grip on her bag getting tighter with growing anxiety. Satsuki just ducked her head and mumbled a quiet thank you.

The walk to the cable cars was in comfortable silence, an element that hadn't been so relaxed in the beginning. Mostly just quarreling over nothing before, they were used to each other's company, now. There wasn't a need to fill the air with meaningless chatter. "So, where would you like to eat?" Satsuki asked.

"Eh, doesn't really matter. Although, there was this new place I wanted to try down the street from the second stop." Ryuko put her hands behind her head as they approached the cable car. Satsuki stepped in first, but Ryuko being the eternal dumb fuck she was, tripped on the space between the platform and the car, crashing into Satsuki.

"Mother Fu—!" Satsuki, amazingly enough, twisted around and caught Ryuko before she face-planted into the floor of the car. Filled with adrenaline, senses heightened, Ryuko was the first to notice their position: Satsuki, pushed back to the middle of the car, was holding Ryuko with both arms around her waist, one hand bracing her lower back, the other on her hip. Ryuko was eye-level with Satsuki's throat, with hands on either side of her waist, fingers gripping tightly at her dress, feeling lean muscle contract underneath. _Holy shit. _

Ryuko's mind went blank. Being this close to Satsuki just did something to her. Before she could stop herself, she placed a kiss at the hollow of Satsuki's throat, murmuring her thanks. Letting her mouth linger, she felt Satsuki swallow roughly, hands lingering on Ryuko's waist, "N-No problem."

Gently untangling from each other, Satsuki tried to regain her composure, crossing her arms and looking out at the city with a blush on the tips of her ears. Ryuko just cleared her throat and tried to regulate her breathing.

Once they got to the right stop, Ryuko grabbed Satsuki's wrist and tore down the street to the restaurant she mentioned earlier. The place was packed and the only table was on the side in front of a wall, meaning they had to sit next to each other on one side and have the wall facing them. "You don't mind, do you? We can come back another time when it's not so crowded…" Ryuko began, scratching her nape out of habit.

"No, no, this is fine." Satsuki gestured for Ryuko to sit by the window first, leaving the open end of the booth to herself. Once situated, they ordered and waited for the food. Ryuko leaned back in the seat and started to idly watch the people on the street through the window, mostly to distract herself from thinking about how soft Satsuki's throat was and how she wanted to kiss it again… and again and again.

Once their food came, Ryuko dug in, earning a mildly disgusted look from Satsuki. "Do you usually eat like you haven't seen food in three days?" Ryuko just grunted and continued eating, essentially ignoring her. She finished her plate in record time, taking a sip from her drink and wiping at her face absentmindedly.

Satsuki turned and looked at her, "You've got something… Never mind, I'll get it." Satsuki wiped her thumb right under Ryuko's lower lip, successfully getting the mess off of her face. Ryuko blinked, holding her breath. Hand holding her chin, Satsuki slowly inched forward, and placed a light kiss on her cheek.

As soon as it happened, however, it was over; just like most displays of affection between them lately. Satsuki just went back to her plate; lips turned the slightest bit upward, leaving Ryuko to gape at her from the side. Running her tongue over her bottom lip Ryuko gave up and started people watching again, clammy hands in her lap.

"It's a thank you… for helping me with that problem earlier, and telling me you think I'm pretty today. …It meant a lot to me." Ryuko turned to look at Satsuki, "I'll always help if you ask… and…" Satsuki had to strain to hear due to the fact that Ryuko practically whispered the rest, "You look pretty every day." Both girls reddened at the statement, but carried on the meal in content silence.

By the time they finished, paid, and left the establishment, it was nighttime. "Damn, that was some good food! Whoa, when did it get dark out? Need me to hold your hand, Eyebrows?" Ryuko joked with a shit-eating grin. Satsuki gave her a deadpan look and punched her in the gut, effectively wiping the smug look off her face. "Ouch, what the hell! I'm just joking, Jesus! You know what, fine. Whatever."

Satsuki turned to look at Ryuko, who crossed her arms and had her cheeks puffed out with a frown, looking the other way. "What are you, five?" Satsuki huffed and looked forward, trying to stop thinking about how ridiculously adorable Ryuko was being at the moment.

Walking to the crosswalk at the corner of the street, Satsuki said, "Okay, I guess I'll see you tomorrow." Ryuko tilted her head, "What, you think you're actually gonna walk home this late by yourself?" Satsuki just snorted, "Contrary to your horribly wrong assessment, I can take care of myself. You would probably get lost on the way back, anyway." Ryuko ignored her and began walking in the direction she thought Satsuki was about to take, "I'll take my chances."

Sighing deeply, Satsuki followed, rubbing her temple. "I'm not a child, you know." Ryuko shrugged, "That's nice." Satsuki stopped and gave Ryuko her best stare, "Look, I know you're being polite, but I really don't need you to walk me home. I'm fine, okay?" It almost sounded like a plea, but juxtaposed with the look she was receiving Ryuko just sighed, yielding, "Okay, fine. Just… text me when you get there so I know you made it alright."

"I don't have your number, ingrate."

"Then give me yours." Ryuko pulled her phone out, giving it to Satsuki, who typed in her contact information and gave it back to her. Ryuko texted her on the spot, '_what up Eyebrows' _Satsuki just shook her head and said, "I'm leaving now. Good night, Matoi." Ryuko beamed and threw her a peace sign, "Lates."

Once Ryuko got home almost half an hour later, she received a text from Satsuki, '_I'm home…' _Ryuko smirked and sent her a picture of herself with her eyes closed and a face-splitting grin, '_thanks for the info, lame ass.'_ A few moments later Satsuki texted back, '_charming'_ Ryuko just flopped on her bed and couldn't keep the smile off her face, even after she had fallen asleep.

* * *

A/N: Hey everyone! Just wanna say thanks for the supportive comments/reviews on this story! Also for all the follows and all that, thank you thank you! :) Any feedback is much appreciated, thanks for reading! The next chapter is already half-way written so expect another update fairly soon


	5. Look Where We Are Now

Staring down with a scowl her on her face, Ryuko was exasperated just looking at the girl in front of her. Her hair pissed her off, her voice pissed her off, and within the first few seconds of contact, Ryuko wanted to choke a bitch.

Coming up to Ryuko's shoulders, the girl had bright pink hair partly covered with a skull-clad beanie, and had been running her mouth like she owned the place since she had stomped up to Ryuko in the hall that morning.

"I see you with Satsuki, Troublemaker. It's fucking weird. I don't understand it at all; you sound like you're uneducated and have a fucking speech impediment. Not to mention your weird-ass hair."

Ryuko gawked, "_I _have weird hair? Look who's talking, you cotton-candy-haired _fuck_! What the hell even _are_ you?"

"My name's Nonon, dipshit, Satsuki's best friend! So you better watch what you say to me, bitch."

Ryuko had had it; with her hands in her pockets, she bent over to get in Nonon's face, "Oi,you think gonna fuckin' take orders from someone I don't even know? I don't remember asking for your opinion on our relationship. I like how we are, and some _Travelocity_ _gnome_ yelling at me isn't gonna change my mind. Don't you have a band to tyrant? Go away."

Nonon smirked, "Wow. _Relationship?_ So you guys are going steady now? Guess I'll have to tell Satsuki the news. The Troublemaker thinks she's in a relationship with the Student Council President! What a riot!"

Ryuko was beginning to grind her teeth; with fists balled and narrowed eyes she said, "I didn't say I was with her. I said we have a relationship. There's a difference. I thought you'd be smart enough to see that, but I guess you're as stupid as you look."

Nonon said nothing, just crossed her arms and raised a brow. Ryuko continued, "You know, there's not a lot of people out there who accept me for who I am right off the bat. Mako was the first in this city; she's my best friend now. Your precious Student Council President was the second and probably the last.

"I'm done trying to impress people so they'll like me. I don't care. As long as I have those two while I'm at this school, I'll be fine. So I don't give a flying shit about what you have to say about it." Ryuko leaned back to her normal, slouched posture, done with the conversation.

Nonon rolled her eyes, "God, how dramatic. I'm just saying it's fuckin' weird that she'd hang out with a delinquent, damn. Listen, Satsuki's probably gonna invite you anyway, so I might as well save her the trouble." She sighed and uncrossed her arms, "We're gonna go to the festival tomorrow night, so, I guess I'll see you there."

Ryuko blinked, "What the fuck are you talking about?"

Nonon just shot her a glare and said, "You heard me, unless your Japanese is as terrible as it sounds. I'll say it again. Satsuki and I. We are going to the Festival tomorrow. You're invited."

Ryuko growled, "Why do you think I have a speech impediment?"

Nonon sighed, exasperated, "That's what you're worried about? Really? Jesus, you have this lazy ass drawl to how you talk, you seriously don't know? It's like, the first thing Satsuki noticed about you. I think she likes it, it's fucking weird." Ryuko's face scrunched up in confusion, internally conflicted about how to feel.

"Ask Satsuki, I'm not lying." Nonon fixed her beanie, seemingly out of habit, and took a step back, "Text her for directions and shit, we're meeting at seven." With that she spun on her heel and walked away. Ryuko put a hand to her face, sighing. _What the fuck was that?_

* * *

Eyes opening, blinded by sunlight, Ryuko felt a hand on her collarbone. Focusing above her, she saw Satsuki in the same position she was in before she fell asleep, idly reading a novel. Adjusting her head on Satsuki's lap Ryuko reached for the book, getting Satsuki's attention. "Oh, you're awake."

Putting the book on the grass next to her, still looking at Satsuki, Ryuko yawned and stretched, "What'd I miss?" Satsuki moved her hand away and rested it somewhere behind her, leaning back, "Nothing. You were asleep for maybe 20 minutes." Ryuko hummed and curled up into Satsuki's stomach, wrapping her arms around her lower back.

"Lunch is almost over, don't fall asleep again." Satsuki grabbed her book and brought her hand to Ryuko's back, rubbing random patterns. She sighed contently, "I won't, but just incase I do you should wake me up, pretty please." Satsuki didn't say anything, attention going back to her novel.

A few pages later, hearing a snore below her, Satsuki looked down to see Ryuko asleep. Chuckling to herself, she tucked a strand of hair behind Ryuko's ear, patting her face, "Fool." Keeping her hand there, Satsuki rubbed her thumb on Ryuko's cheek, reveling at the softness of her skin.

Hand moving to comb through Ryuko's hair, voice barely above a whisper, she said, "I can't stop thinking about you. It's strange." She rubbed at her scalp, hearing a quite whimper along with a tightening grip around her waist, followed by a pleased sigh. Satsuki smiled, "I guess it doesn't matter. Since I've met you I've become a little more carefree, happy. It's nice… but you _are_ lazy."

Waking up to Satsuki boxing her ear, Ryuko sat up and stretched again. Putting her hands on the grass behind her she leaned back to look at Satsuki, "Hey, what's your book about?"

Said book was snapped shut, "It's for a class, I think it's interesting, though."

As Satsuki went to get up from her sitting position thinking that was all she was to say on the matter, Ryuko pried, "What's interesting about it?" As they both stood, she pursed her lips in thought, "I'm not sure, I guess the plot isn't too bad, but the protagonist is enjoyable. They're independent; strong."

Ryuko hummed, "Just like you." Satsuki shrugged, cheeks flushing.

"Oh, by the way, your pink-haired friend totally ruined my morning yesterday." Ryuko reminisced with a grimace. Satsuki let out a robust laugh, "Don't you mean 'cotton-candy-haired fuck'? Seriously?"

Ryuko went to defend herself, but the fact that Satsuki was smiling so freely kind of distracted her. Feeling heat rushing to her cheeks, all Ryuko could do was stop and stare.

Satsuki walked past her, "She's just worried about me, that's all. I'm surprised you weren't more violent with her. You give off an intimidating aura, you know." Ryuko shook her head, gaining higher brain function, "Whatever. She didn't have to be a fuckin' bitch about it. Speech impediment, my ass… I don't speak with a drawl, do I?"

Satsuki laughed again, "It's not as bad as you think. I like it, it's different." Ryuko blushed, looking the other way, grumbling unintelligibly. Satsuki continued to stare, "It's nothing to be ashamed of." Ryuko turned back around, stuffing her hands in her pockets, huffing, "Yeah, yeah." Satsuki wacked her on the back of her head, "So, are you coming tonight?"

Ryuko blinked, "Uh, I mean, if you want me to, I will." Satsuki hummed, "As long as you don't get in a fist fight with Nonon, you're welcome to come."

Ryuko frowned, thinking about it, "No promises." Satsuki just laughed again, making Ryuko grin. _Her laugh is so cute, _Ryuko thought, _maybe tonight won't be so bad. _

* * *

Walking up to the field where the festival was being held, Ryuko gaped at the sheer size of it all. It reminded her of carnivals in America; booths everywhere filled with food and games, a giant opening with tables and chairs, there was even a Ferris wheel. Dressed in her usual garb: t-shirt, jeans, scarf, jacket, Ryuko began to look for Satsuki and Nonon.

Going through the maze of booths, Ryuko spotted Nonon first, seemingly irritated already, at what looked like a Blackjack stand. Satsuki was next to her, trying to get her to calm down. "What the fuck! This is bullshit! This game is rigged!" Ryuko had just walked up as Nonon threw up her hands in frustration.

"Nonon, it's not rigged, calm down. Maybe we should just to go try a different game, preferably one that doesn't enrage you…" Satsuki noticed Ryuko and gave a small wave in greeting. Nonon threw her money at the booth runner and screamed at him to deal.

"Ah, so she _is_ like this all the time…" Ryuko grinned; Nonon turned and flipped her off, immediately going back to her game. Satsuki sighed, "She's very competitive." Ryuko hummed and turned her attention towards the game.

With a cry of frustration after loosing twice in a row, Nonon got up to leave, but not before Ryuko sat down and paid to play. Staring at her, Nonon sat back down and squared her shoulders, ready to go. "I'm gonna beat your ass." She said. Ryuko chuckled, "I'd like to see you try." Satsuki put a hand to her face in remorse.

The dealer began the game, tossing cards to each girl at their respective turns. Nonon, caught up in it all, went over 21, loosing once again. Ryuko stayed in the game and ended up beating the dealer.

"What! How'd you win?! You fuckin' cheater!" Ryuko frowned and said, "Oh, so since I'm better than you at something I have to be cheating?"

Nonon huffed and got up, standing by Satsuki, "Yeah, I've been trying to win for like, five rounds." Ryuko rolled her eyes, going back to the game. The rules were that you paid for one game and played until you lost. Four wins later, Ryuko turned around with a shit-eating grin and said, "Okay, Eyebrows, if I win the next one I get to take you on the Ferris wheel."

Nonon scoffed, "Oh ho! We've got a fuckin' professional over here." Satsuki looked at the dealer, who was glaring accusatorily at Ryuko, "Sure. The odds of you winning again are pretty slim anyway." Ryuko, still wearing her grin, went back to the game.

Not even five minutes later, Ryuko got up and stretched, "Looks like I win again, eh? Sweet!" Nonon was speechless while Satsuki grinned minutely. "Thanks for the game, dealer!" Ryuko started walking in the direction of the food, leaving the other two to follow.

"Wha—What the fuck?! How are you so good?" Nonon was fuming next to Satsuki, who looked at Ryuko and said, "The fireworks start in an hour. I want to be on the Ferris wheel when they happen." Ryuko put her hands behind her head, smiling, and said "Sure thing."

Getting food didn't take long and neither did finding a spot to sit. Once situated at a table, Nonon and Satsuki on one side and Ryuko on the other, the girls dug into their meals. Halfway through Nonon said, "I guess I'll leave after this." Ryuko looked up, surprised. "Huh? Why?"

Nonon narrowed her eyes and said, "I'm tired, idiot. Unlike you, I actually contribute to the school and the band has an early practice tomorrow." After finishing her food and giving Satsuki a good-bye hug while shooting a glare at Ryuko, she collected her trash and walked off.

"That was weird as fuck." Ryuko said, glancing around at the people around them. "Agreed." Satsuki began to gather her and Ryuko's trash to throw away.

"By the way, I thought counting cards was against the rules." Ryuko flushed, "Wh—What do you mean, counting cards?"

Satsuki looked at her, "Don't lie; even the dealer knew." Ryuko smiled sheepishly, scratching her nape, "I still get to take you on the Ferris wheel, right?" Satsuki got up, Ryuko doing the same, "I suppose."

Luckily, they were the last two in the line before the employees cut it off. Climbing in first, Ryuko noticed the cab was bit older than she thought. Rust was on the pole that held them inside the seat, and the actual seat's paint was chipping off. Satsuki slid in next to her and the ride began.

Both girls were too nervous to try anything so soon into the ride, but Ryuko decided she had nothing to lose at this point, since Satsuki had agreed to go with her in the first place.

Classically feigning a stretch and yawning, Ryuko draped her right arm over Satsuki, pulling her closer. Satsuki didn't seem to have a problem with it, and even wrapped her left arm around Ryuko's lower back, closing the distance between their hips.

They sat in comfortable silence until they were about three cab spots away from the top of the wheel, "Thanks for inviting me." Satsuki glanced at Ryuko, noticing just how close they were. Ryuko's other hand found Satsuki's, lacing their fingers shyly. Both girls blushed, not looking away.

The hand on Satsuki's shoulder moved to the back of her neck, combing through her hair. Shuttering, Satsuki tightened her grip on Ryuko's waist. "Nonon invited you, actually." Ryuko moved forward and bumped foreheads with Satsuki, who flushed even further at the contact.

"Yeah, but she said you were gonna do it anyway, so ipso facto, thanks for inviting me." Satsuki sighed and rubbed her nose against Ryuko's. "Whatever." Ryuko hummed and moved to rub Satsuki's cheek with her own.

They sat there for a while, nuzzling each other comfortably, until the tension was too much for Ryuko. Softly kissing Satsuki's cheek, Ryuko ran her fingers through Satsuki's hair, relaxing her. Moving her face back to bump noses, Ryuko closed her eyes with a content sigh, not moving to try anything else.

Satsuki untangled their fingers to pinch Ryuko's cheek; "You better not fall asleep. I didn't come to watch the fireworks by myself." Ryuko chuckled, leaning back to her original position, "No promises."

Leaning her head on Ryuko's shoulder, Satsuki's hand joined the other around Ryuko's waist, drawing lazy patterns into her side. Ryuko ran her hand up Satsuki's sleeve, drawing the same patterns into her forearm.

Finally building up the courage after a few minutes Ryuko stammered out, red-faced, "Hey, so, uh, what're you doing next weekend?"

After almost a minute of silence she went to ask again, only to get cut off. "Nothing. Why?"

Ryuko stiffened, not thinking that far ahead. "Uh, you wanna come over? I could cook for you or something and we could see a movie— or we could go like, shopping or some shit— or you know, I heard of this place across town that—"

Satsuki cut her off, "Stop before you give yourself an aneurism, Matoi. Yes, I'll go out with you next Saturday. Just send me your address." Sighing she snuggled closer to Ryuko, who's face was about ten times redder than it was when they first got into the cab. "C-Cool."

Having Satsuki all snuggled up to her, Ryuko was more comfortable than she'd been in a long time. That coupled with the night sky, Ryuko's eyelids were beginning to feel heavy. Closing her eyes and leaning her head on top of Satsuki's, she drifted in and out of sleep for an unknown amount of time until Satsuki pinched her side, making her yelp.

Looking at Ryuko intently, whose eyes were glazed over from sleep, Satsuki sighed, untangling herself from Ryuko and awkwardly clearing her throat. "I think you missed the fireworks."

Ryuko rubbed at her eyes, "Well, shit. I really wanted to see them. …Thanks a lot, _Eyebrows_."

Satsuki grunted, pinching Ryuko's thigh in retaliation. "It's not my fault you probably have narcolepsy." They sat there for a few minutes in silence, the ride coming to an end, looking out at the festival beneath them.

"Shit, do we have a test tomorrow?!" Stiffening, Ryuko looked at Satsuki for confirmation, only to get a laugh at her expense.

"What? Hey! Stop that! Answer me!" Ryuko crossed her arms and puffed her cheeks out in frustration like a child. Satsuki just laughed harder, giving Ryuko a megawatt smile she said, "Yep! I'm assuming you forgot?"

Ryuko stared, "… fucking gorgeous." Realizing she said it out loud, Ryuko grit her teeth, feeling her entire face catch fire. She looked at anything but Satsuki, whose eyebrows were in the stratosphere.

"Uh, I meant—You're right, I did forget about it." A beat passed, and Ryuko felt Satsuki kiss her cheek and mumble a quiet _'thank you' _followed by a nudge with her nose against her temple.

"You're like a fucking cat." Ryuko leaned her elbow on the rusted pole and covered her mouth, trying to hide her growing smile. Satsuki leaned back, crossing her legs and inspecting her nails with a light blush on her cheeks. "It doesn't seem to bother you much." Ryuko grunted, watching the ride employee walk over to unhook the bar and let them out of the cab, "Come on, I'll walk you home."

* * *

A/N: Hey y'all! Here's the next installment! awww Satsuki likes to cuddle? Stay tuned for more! Feedback is appreciated :)


	6. Heartlines

Stretching her arms above her head, Ryuko yawned and looked at the clock on her bedside table. _10:30, _she thought,_ better start getting ready. _Grabbing a hair tie on her desk on the way out of her room, she put her hair up into a manageable ponytail, and began to clean the downstairs living room area.

When she was satisfied with her work, she opened up the fridge to start preparation on lunch. Today was an important day; everything needed to be on point. Satsuki was coming over, as per the agreement they made on the Ferris wheel almost two weeks ago. Ryuko was almost giddy with excitement.

With her dad basically living at his lab across town, Ryuko had to do many household things by herself, cooking being one of them. Although, when her dad would come home, she would try to make the best food possible for them. Mostly to get her father's compliments on her cooking.

Being alone so much didn't bother her now as much as it used to, she had come to terms with her father's research a while back. It took a lot out of him. He tried his best to make time for her, but sometimes it would fall through. She knew better than to get disappointed when that type of thing happened, though.

So for someone to come over and taste her cooking and spend the day with her, Ryuko was overcome with anticipation. What would they do? What will they talk about? These and many more trivial questions were racing through her mind as she pulled out ingredients from the fridge.

Turning on the stove she thought,_ I'll put some music on so there won't be silence. I'm definitely thinking too much. Relax, Matoi! Get it together!_ Getting one of her dad's old records from the shelf opposite of the kitchen in the living room, she turned on the record player and set to work.

Letting her mind wander, she began to think about how her relationship with Satsuki had progressed. She had never met someone with a pole so far up their own ass before, but that image had shattered when Satsuki had changed Ryuko's math class for her.

From the bits and pieces of personality Satsuki would let through her no-nonsense attitude, Ryuko could tell she truly cared about every student, no matter who they were. It's what she liked most about her. She was so ready to help whoever needed it. A true Student Council President.

Her attraction to her, however, was different in the beginning as well. Seeing her in that ridiculous maid outfit the first month Ryuko was at Honnouji had solidified Satsuki's physical appeal, but at the same time it didn't make Ryuko want to pursue her.

What really did it was the fact that Ryuko saw her every morning for their math class. Seeing her interact in a classroom setting was so different than one-on-one interaction. At first, she and her high and mighty attitude annoyed Ryuko. She gave off this aura of total control; her face was the same, stoic frown every minute of the day. It made Ryuko want to put her fist through a wall.

That is, until she saw Satsuki smile. The first time it wasn't directed at her, but at Nonon, who had made a joke or something while they were walking in the hall. Ryuko didn't know her mouth could move the other direction; therefore, she physically stopped walking and stared.

Satsuki had looked over at her, but before Ryuko could react the late bell had rung and she had to run the rest of the way to class. She wanted to see more of that side of Satsuki, the carefree side. That's why, the next day in their class together and every day after that, Ryuko made an effort to talk to Satsuki as much as possible.

Months passed and they became closer and closer. They had gone from argumentative acquaintances to close friends fairly quick. It was as if when one of them let their guard down, the other would slip in and plant themselves behind their wall of defense, unknowingly sneaking their way into each other's hearts. The night of the festival, however, Ryuko realized that she wanted more. The physical attraction was always there, but now, Ryuko knew it wasn't just a crush anymore.

Hearing a knock on the door, Ryuko wiped her hands on a dishtowel and went to answer it. Standing on her porch was Satsuki, dressed in a light sweater and jeans with flats. Her hair was down with those white clips she seemed to always wear. Both girls stared at each other for a few moments until Ryuko realized she was supposed to let Satsuki in.

"I like your sweater. Is that, uh, new?" Ryuko could feel her face heating up. _She's so cute!_ She thought, while opening the door and motioning for her to come inside. "I got it yesterday, actually. I like your hair. You never wear it up like that at school." Satsuki said as she walked past, eyes roaming around the house.

"Oh shit!" Ryuko looked down at herself. Confirming her fear, she was indeed still in her pajamas, which consisted of a loose purple t-shirt and black athletic shorts. She looked back up at Satsuki who looked vaguely entertained at the situation; lips tilted the slightest bit upward. "I'm gonna go change. Make yourself at home!" She said while running up the stairs to her room.

Coming out in her usual jeans and white scoop neck t-shirt, Ryuko saw Satsuki looking over at what they were having for lunch. "I hope you're hungry," she said as she walked up behind Satsuki, "it's an American dish: Chicken Fried Steak. Mostly used in the south, though. It's really good." Moving over to make her a plate she continued, "I've got some green beans, mashed potatoes, and mac and cheese to go with it as well. Which would you prefer?"

Not hearing an answer, she looked over at Satsuki whose eyes were wide. Suddenly self-conscious she asked what was wrong. "Nothing! Nothing! You really went all out didn't you? You didn't have to do that, you know." She actually had her hands up in defense.

Ryuko laughed outright, "I didn't have to, but I wanted to! Come on, it didn't even take that long!" She passed Satsuki a plate with little servings of everything on it and went to the cabinet to get glasses for them. Satsuki stood there for a moment, almost in defiance, but quickly turned on her heel to sit at the table a few feet away.

Ryuko fixed herself a plate and filled the two glasses with water, bringing it all to the table, sitting cattycorner to Satsuki. Watching her face light up in confused satisfaction, Ryuko smiled and asked if the food was to her liking. "It's so… tasty. The flavor… I've had American food before, but this is just…" Giving up on trying to explain the feeling, Satsuki dug into her meal, hoping Ryuko would get the idea.

Smug with satisfaction, Ryuko began her meal as well, listening to the smooth jazz coming out of her father's record player, stealing glances at Satsuki every once and a while. She had dark circles under her eyes, darker than usual. Frowning, Ryuko put her fork down and said, "I thought you said you were getting more sleep now-a-days."

Looking up from her food, Satsuki furrowed her brows in confusion, "What are you talking about?" Sighing, Ryuko pointed to her own face, under her eyes, "You've got darker circles today. Did you get any sleep last night?"

Eyebrows still drawn together, Satsuki replied, "No, not really. I had to finish some reports for class and approve requests for the new locker room layouts. Student Council things."

"I told you that I'd help out with that stuff if it's just busy work! You don't need to waste your time that way. You know you need proper rest. College Entrance Exams are coming up…"

Satsuki gave Ryuko a deadpan look, "I know perfectly well when the Entrance Exams are; _you're_ the one who needs to get her priorities straight. Almost failing a class you should be breezing through is ridiculous—"

Cutting her off, Ryuko rubbed the growing crease between her eyebrows gently with her thumb saying, "I don't like it when you're stressed out. That's why I want to do things for you that are trivial and are just time-wasters. Hey, I tried harder on the test the other week! I showed, like, fifty percent of the work this time."

Shrugging Ryuko's hand off her face with a light blush, Satsuki said, "You can't help with the approvals. I need to read every single one of them and determine if they're reasonable requests. Thank you for offering, though. I do appreciate it."

Ryuko smiled and seeing they were both done with their food, collected their plates, and placed them in the sink. Yawning and stretching her arms above her head, she walked past Satsuki and over to the couch a few feet away.

Flopping down on her back, Ryuko looked at Satsuki, who just looked confused, and said, "Come on, let's take a nap. I'm tired from all that cooking and cleaning this morning."

Standing, Satsuki walked over to the couch, "I don't sleep on couches." Ryuko huffed and said, "Well, fine. We can go to my room, then." Grabbing Satsuki's hand she led her upstairs to her room and flopped down face-first on her bed.

"You have a chalkboard wall?" Grunting Ryuko tugged at Satsuki's hand and said, "Bedtime. No more questions. Let's go." Timidly sitting on the edge of the bed, Satsuki was still looking around Ryuko's room. On the aforementioned chalkboard wall, equations and many more things Satsuki couldn't comprehend in the least were written from the ceiling to the floor. Looking at Satsuki through her hair, Ryuko grunted again, letting go of Satsuki's hand and wrapping her arm around her waist, forcing her to lie down.

Face-to-face, both girls blushed at the proximity but made no move to back away. Satsuki was having trouble staying awake, her lack of sleep apparent. Ryuko's body heat was surprisingly relaxing. Feeling herself doze off she said, "Okay, but only for thirty minutes."

Hearing her slow breathes even out, Ryuko chuckled, wrapping her other arm under Satsuki's head, providing a cushion. It wasn't long until sleep overtook her as well.

* * *

Waking up to Ryuko's light snoring, Satsuki yawned. Still on her side, Satsuki's left arm was draped over Ryuko's stomach while Ryuko was on her back with her left arm still cushioning Satsuki's head. The domesticity of the situation made Satsuki blush to the tips of her ears.

Playing with the fabric on Ryuko's shirt, she began to think about Ryuko. Never before had Satsuki met someone so carefree and interesting. Ryuko, at first, just looked like a normal delinquent whom Satsuki was sure to see often in detention after school.

After a month or so, however, her visits were more and more scarce. Seeing her at the bookstore had been a shock as well, mostly because of the unexpected kiss Ryuko planted on her cheek. She had thought about that for weeks afterwards. Why had she done it? Was that an American trait she had picked up?

None of these questions were answered for Satsuki until the Cable Car Incident, as she liked to call it. That night had confirmed her suspicions of Ryuko's attraction to her, but even after that, Ryuko had never made another move so bold again.

That was until the Ferris wheel a couple of weeks ago. Satsuki had never wanted to kiss someone so bad in her life. She held her feelings back, however, pressing her tongue to the roof of her mouth so hard it hurt for days after. She had no idea how to read Ryuko's actions. It looked like she was going to kiss her when she brushed their noses the first time, but instead, she had turned away and nuzzled her neck.

The memory was frustrating to say the least. Satsuki genuinely cared for Ryuko, so she didn't want to skew what they had together just so she could give in to her own selfish desires. Still, the way Ryuko looked at her sometimes made her heart stop. She liked how Ryuko was always doting on her, but at the same time, put on a façade to try and mask her outbursts of feelings. It was the cutest thing to watch, in Satsuki's eyes.

"Oi, what are you smiling about?"

Snapping out of her thoughts, Satsuki looked up at Ryuko, who was grinning disarmingly at her. She shrugged and said, "Nothing that concerns you." Huffing and rolling on her side to face Satsuki, Ryuko put her arm around Satsuki's waist again, "Oh, yeah? I call bullshit on that."

Satsuki slammed their foreheads together in retaliation. Moving her hand to cup Ryuko's jaw she said, "Okay, you got me. It does concern you, but I'm not telling you anymore than that." By this time, Ryuko's face was bright red, mostly because of Satsuki's thumb gently rubbing her cheek and their proximity.

"Okay." There was something different in how Satsuki was looking at her. She could tell their relationship was about to shift, but in whose favor? Mouth dry, Ryuko leaned in, brushing her nose with Satsuki's, testing the waters. Satsuki's grip on her face tightened, and she found herself leaning in even more, breath ghosting Ryuko's lips.

Taking the plunge, Ryuko pressed her mouth against Satsuki's briefly, only to have Satsuki drag her back to her mouth by the hand on her face. Arm tightening around Satsuki's waist, Ryuko moved their bodies closer, kissing becoming more eager.

Breaking away for air, Satsuki let out a breathy laugh, watching Ryuko chase after her lips for another kiss. Languidly granting her desire, Satsuki gave her a few more for good measure, breaking away once again.

Satsuki grinned and Ryuko felt like her face was going to split she was smiling so wide. They lounged like that for a few minutes, breathing going back to normal, until Satsuki's phone rang.

Huffing, Satsuki took it out and read the message. Brows furrowing, she typed a response and looked apologetically at Ryuko. "I have to go to the school. There's been a burglary in the student council room."

Sighing Ryuko got up and led Satsuki downstairs. Opening the door, Satsuki apologized again before leaving and said, "I had a good time with you today. I'd like to come over more, if that's alright with you."

Ryuko brightened, "Hell yeah! You could bring your homework over and stuff! And we could chill—and I could cook for us all the time—!" Ryuko cut herself off, blushing, "Y-yeah. It'd be cool with me if you came over more…"

Nodding, Satsuki turned and said, "Okay, text me." Walking onto the sidewalk, going towards the school, she only got a block away when she heard Ryuko yell, "Hey! Wait up!"

Turning, she saw Ryuko running up to her with a light flush on her face. Getting into Satsuki's personal space, Ryuko leaned up while saying, "I'd like a goodbye kiss, please."

Face turning red, Satsuki fulfilled her request, leaning down a bit and tucking some loose hair behind her ear. The kiss was slow and enticing, but remembering they were in public, she slowly pulled away before Ryuko coaxed a few more kisses from her. Ryuko grinned and kissed her cheek murmuring her thanks before she went back to her house.

All the way to Honnouji, Satsuki couldn't get the memory of Ryuko's mouth on her own out of her head until the policeman asked why she was smiling at the sight of a burglary.

* * *

A/N: Hey everyone! Thank you so much for all your support on this story! Sorry this took a while, but the next part will continue without delay! Thanks for reading! :) Thoughts/reviews are appreciated!


	7. You Took Me By Surprise

"Hey, so what time is your Kendo match or whatever tomorrow?" Ryuko leaned back to get a look at Satsuki, who was apparently already getting bored of the movie they were watching. She looked like she was struggling to keep her eyes open.

"I believe the competition begins at eleven; although, you shouldn't get there until maybe noon. They're having almost four introductory speeches, plus the opening ceremony. I wouldn't want you to sit through that." Satsuki put her head on Ryuko's shoulder, eyes glazing over from exhaustion.

Shaking the shoulder her arm was draped over, Ryuko gently pulled Satsuki off her own shoulder, receiving groan in protest. "Wouldn't you feel better if you lied down? That can't be good for your neck, falling asleep on my shoulder all the time."

Satsuki rolled her eyes, "Fine. Move off the couch, then." Ryuko did as she was told, only to see Satsuki take over the entire sofa, lying on her stomach, arm hanging off the side. Ryuko chuckled and bent down to be eye-level with Satsuki, who already had her eyes closed.

Smoothing out one of Satsuki's eyebrows, Ryuko whispered goodnight and went to turn off the movie, only to have a hand grab her own. Looking back, she saw Satsuki crack an eye open and say, "Lay on me."

Ryuko was a little confused, and this must've shown because Satsuki huffed and amended her statement, "I mean to say, pressing body weight helps me relax before my competitions. I used to have Nonon sit on my back, I don't know, just do it, please. I'm too tired to explain."

Complying with her odd request, Ryuko got on the couch and sprawled over Satsuki, tangling their legs and resting her head between Satsuki's shoulder blades. Hearing Satsuki let out a content sigh and mumble a quiet 'thank you', Ryuko yawned, too relaxed to do anything but sleep. It wasn't even five minutes before she was out like a light.

* * *

Waking from her REM cycle, Ryuko yawned and moved to see Satsuki still asleep underneath her. Finding that she had wrapped her arms around Satsuki's stomach during her nap, Ryuko tightened her embrace and buried her face back into Satsuki's shoulders, sighing deeply.

Her grip must've been a little too tight, because Satsuki began to stir from below. "Shit. I'm sorry. Did I wake you up?" Turning on her side to face Ryuko, Satsuki shook her head, still groggy.

Ryuko grinned and pinched one of her cheeks, only to get a half-hearted smack to the forehead in retaliation. "You're so cute when you're sleepy, you know that?"

Satsuki flushed and said, "Well you're a sap, but you don't see me calling you out on it all the time."

"You're right. I'm hopeless, but I get you to crack a smile every once and a while, so I think it's worth it."

Satsuki sighed and looked at the clock by the television. Frowning, she looked back at Ryuko, "It's a little after eight. We slept for almost two hours." Grumbling incoherently, Satsuki sat up and stretched her arms above her head, effectively cracking almost every bone in her back.

Ryuko wrapped her arms around her waist again and buried her face into Satsuki's neck. Satsuki stilled and lowered her arms, letting one of them drape over Ryuko, hand playing with the ends of her hair.

They didn't get to be affectionate often; Ryuko had discovered almost a week after their first kiss that Satsuki held back when they were in public. She didn't have a problem with it; PDA was something her old school had enforced, so she wasn't new to the idea. The problem she did have was that they were almost never alone.

Besides the times Satsuki would come over to Ryuko's home, other people always surrounded them. Be it in class, at lunch, or their rare after-school dinner dates, they were in public almost every time they saw each other. Which left no room for the affection Ryuko wanted to show.

Leaning up, Ryuko got Satsuki's attention by placing a kiss to the corner of her mouth. Turning her head, Satsuki bumped Ryuko's nose and let her hand thread into her hair. Closing the distance between them, Ryuko put her hands on Satsuki's waist, fingers gripping her designer shirt.

The only bright side Ryuko could see was that Satsuki never held back when she knew they were alone. Her kisses exposed her raw desire, leaving Ryuko stunned by the time she broke away for air. Resting her forehead on Ryuko's, Satsuki mumbled, "That was a long time coming." It was true; they hadn't been able to be alone like this for almost two weeks.

Ryuko just nodded mutely in agreement and kissed her again, setting a slow pace. Her hands gently ran up and down Satsuki's sides, feeling muscle tense underneath the fabric of her shirt. Satsuki's hand joined the other in Ryuko's hair, and after a minute or two, both hands cupped Ryuko's face, thumbs rubbing her cheeks.

Lazily, Ryuko moved to running her hands up and down Satsuki's back, earning a faint whimper from Satsuki. Wanting to hear more, Ryuko opened her mouth a bit further, letting her tongue slide into Satsuki's mouth.

Feeling Satsuki sigh deeply through her nose, Ryuko ran her tongue along Satsuki's, groaning at the contact. Continuing as long as she could, Ryuko had to breathe at some point. Reluctantly breaking away, she let Satsuki give her a few more chaste pecks before she placed her head on Satsuki's shoulder.

She felt Satsuki wrap her arms around her midsection, embracing her. Not used to such boldness from her, Ryuko blushed and tightened her own grip on Satsuki. She wasn't sure how long they stayed like that, but after a while, Satsuki leaned back and said almost grudgingly, "I should go. It's getting late and I have some paperwork I still need to fill out for the competition tomorrow."

Getting one last kiss from her, Ryuko got up and helped Satsuki collect her things. Opening the door to let her out, Ryuko grabbed her hand and pressed her mouth to it. Letting her lips linger on Satsuki's fingers, she said, "I know you'll kick ass tomorrow, but just in case I don't get to see you before you start, good luck!"

She squeezed Satsuki's hand once before letting go. With pink dusting her cheeks, Satsuki scoffed and said, "I'll wipe the floor with those pigs. Luck will have nothing to do with it."

Ryuko laughed, inwardly admiring Satsuki's confidence, and threw out her fist.

"That's my girl!"

Cracking a small smile, Satsuki bumped Ryuko's fist with her own.

* * *

Walking up to the convention center with Mako, Ryuko was a little overwhelmed. Satsuki didn't tell her much about the competition, just that she was in it and that it was the last one of the year so a bunch of people would be there. Upon finding out that it was the National High School Competition Ryuko was floored.

"Say isn't this shit, like, super hard to get in to?" Ryuko turned to Mako, who looked up from the schedule pamphlet. "Well… normally, yes. For someone like Satsuki, though, probably not."

At Ryuko's confused face, Mako's eyes lit up with excitement, "Haven't you heard all the stuff people have been saying? All the students say she's, like, unmatched in these sort of competitions! Her fighting spirit is totally off the charts. They say one kid just started crying when she came onto the floor for the match from her raw energy. It's scary."

Ryuko wasn't that surprised. Gathering from the way Satsuki had reacted the day before, Ryuko could tell she was talented in Kendo. Although, she had to give her some credit. Making it to national level in Japan was pretty amazing in itself.

"Damn. That's awesome! I can't wait to see her fight!" Ryuko grinned, pumping her fists. Mako giggled and went back to reading the schedule. "Oh good! Her match is one of the first ones!"

Ryuko got into her personal space to see the pamphlet. Pointing next to Satsuki's name she asked, "Hey, what's that number mean?" Mako looked up to the sky, trying to recall the information.

"If I remember correctly it's like her level of expertise. It's kind of like degrees of belts in karate. The highest someone her age can have is 3-dan."

Ryuko nodded in understanding, "Okay. Okay. Cool." Looking back at the pamphlet, she saw the number next to Satsuki's name was, in fact, three. _Shit. She must be a real monster, _she thought with a grin, _awesome. _

Finding seats, Ryuko let Mako explain more rules of Kendo to her as they waited for the matches to start. The matches were won by best two-out-of-three. There were three referees, and you were graded on your spirit energy, or fighting spirit. Ryuko wasn't sure how you could be graded on something like that, but she let it slide, wanting to see an example before she judged it too harshly.

The way the National Competition worked was everyone was put into brackets based on their dan grade. Just like any other tournament, you fought until you were the last one standing. Based on observation, Satsuki's bracket was the smallest; she only had to win three matches to be the National Champion for her grade.

"I'm sure she can do it! I'm so excited, Ryuko! It looks like most of Honnouji is here, too!" Ryuko blinked at that. Looking around she did recognize more people than she originally thought. She even spotted Nonon a few rows away, sitting next to a huge muscular guy and a blue haired kid on his laptop.

"You bet, Mako! She's gonna kick so much ass!" Ryuko was getting hyped up. She wanted to see Satsuki already. She wanted to see her mop the floor with these losers. More importantly, she wanted to see her at her best. Ryuko could tell Satsuki loved Kendo; just by the way she talked about it. Her eyes lit up the same way when she talked about tea, but Ryuko was sure that was a little different.

After the first match, Ryuko saw what the judges were grading on, what they meant by 'fighting spirit'. Summing it up in her head, you had to stomp, shout, and hit the other person a certain way to get the point. These people were fast, too. Ryuko could barely keep up with how the refs were giving out points. After almost thirty minutes, it was Satsuki's match. Ryuko could barely contain her excitement.

Walking out onto the floor, the kid she was supposed to face showed no fear. Putting his safety pads on, he looked as calm as could be, that is, until Satsuki stepped on the floor.

Ryuko could feel it from her seat, the raw energy. It was unbelievable. Satsuki practically oozed confidence just walking up to put on her gear. Ryuko started to bite her nails. This was gonna be good. With both opponents dressed and ready to go, the refs started the match. It was so silent, Ryuko was sure she could hear a pen drop in that giant arena.

If she blinked she would've missed it. Satsuki bolted forward with breakneck speed; stomping so hard she cracked the wood floor, and letting out a formidable shout that sounded like 'Osu!' She hit the kid so hard on the right shoulder her bamboo sword snapped. Ryuko had never wanted her more. Replacing her sword and performing a second time, Satsuki won that match without breaking a sweat.

Ryuko grinned, "Holy shit. Those kids weren't lying were they? She's amazing." Mako snickered in agreement. The next two matches for Satsuki were almost the same as the first, although, the final match came down to three points. Her opponent got a lucky swing in and hit the tip of her left shoulder, getting a point.

Her last hit was one to see in person, though. Ryuko was willing to bet she was pissed because the guy hit her by chance. Her aura had practically exploded. Ryuko was almost vibrating with adrenaline. Satsuki was going to make this kid wet himself… or worse.

The refs signaled that this was the match point. Watching from the stands, Ryuko couldn't believe what she was seeing, or rather, feeling. Satsuki had contained her presence so well you couldn't feel her spirit at all. Grinning, Ryuko pieced Satsuki's plan together right before she executed.

All at once, the arena was assaulted with Satsuki's energy. The foot she was using to break into a run demolished the wood underneath her bare feet. Her grip on her sword was so tight Ryuko could see the handle snapping beneath her fingers.

With lightning speed, Satsuki let out a shout that could shatter eardrums, and crashed her sword against her opponent's, effectively shattering their weapon. Coming back from her swing, and him being defenseless, Satsuki hit her challenger on his right shoulder; not caring about what damage it might deal, and won the match.

* * *

Putting her hands behind her head, Ryuko laughed, "Damn! I think you broke that guy's shoulder!"

Grimacing, Satsuki gave a noncommittal shrug and said, "Well he shouldn't have pissed me off. He knew that was a cheap shot. Pig." Walking to Ryuko's house, both girls were side-by-side, making small talk about the matches.

Putting one of her hands on the small of Satsuki's back, Ryuko leaned in with a grin, "Hey, you're tired right? Let's take a nap together when we get to my place." Satsuki rolled her eyes, "You always want to nap, even when you're not tired. What's your deal?"

Pouting, Ryuko crossed her arms and looked the other way, making Satsuki sigh with impatience. "Look. I don't get to spend a lot of time with you. What's so wrong about wanting to get my cuddle on?"

"We don't have to be asleep to do that, you know."

Putting a hand to her face, Ryuko groaned. "Whatever. Fine. I wanna cuddle when we get back. Deal with it."

"Not a problem."

Satsuki put an arm around Ryuko's shoulders, making her look up. She leaned in and gave Ryuko an enthusiastic kiss, to which she heartily returned. "What's that for?" Ryuko wrapped her arm around Satsuki's lower back.

"Nothing, I like cuddling, too."

* * *

A/N: Hey everyone! School's out! Yay! Anyways hope you enjoyed this chapter and as always feel free to leave any type of feedback! :) Thank you for all the support and thanks for reading!


	8. Can You Dig It

"Dammit!"

Hearing a sigh above her, Ryuko craned her neck to see Satsuki staring wearily at the screen. "You needed to go left, you keep going right and getting stuck in the same trap." Ryuko scoffed and turned back to her game, letting Satsuki play with her hair.

"I thought you were reading?"

Humming, Satsuki said, "I finished it a few minutes ago. I've watched you make the same mistake about 3 times since then."

Ryuko grunted and lightly bit the thigh she was currently laying her face on, making Satsuki grip her hair tighter. "Watch it." Ryuko grinned and pressed her mouth to the bite spot in apology, eyes still on the TV.

She played for a few more minutes, silently, with Satsuki scratching her scalp. Getting bored, Ryuko saved the game and opened another one, leaning up to kiss Satsuki as it loaded.

Settling sideways in her lap, legs stretched out to the side, Ryuko rested her head on Satsuki's shoulder. "Hey, uh. You should try this one, it's easy to win by just button mashing." Satsuki gave her a hesitant look, "No, that's okay. I'll just watch."

Ryuko snorted, "Come on, just play one match. I'll help you." Guiding Satsuki's arms around her, Ryuko put the controller in her hands, covering them with her own. "Okay, so for this one, I'll put it on, like, medium difficulty and I'll guide you."

As the game started, Ryuko gently pressed on Satsuki's fingers covering the right buttons, helping her get a feel for what to do. "Yeah, like that. You wanna go low for this guy, cause he rarely blocks with his legs."

Satsuki grunted and furrowed a brow in concentration. Ryuko brought her hands to Satsuki's upper arms, letting her play on her own, absently drawing designs on her skin.

Grinning when Satsuki won, Ryuko put her arms around Satsuki's neck and kissed her cheek, making her flush slightly at the sudden affection. "See? You're good at it. Wanna play again?"

"No, thanks."

Ryuko groaned, "Fine," kissing her cheek again, "I'll just kiss you until you tell me what you wanna do instead." Before Satsuki could retort, she pressed their mouths together, one hand cradling her face.

Breaking apart, Satsuki gave a small smile, "I can't really say anything if my lips are occupied, can I?" Humming, Ryuko kissed her again, "It doesn't seem to bother you."

Smile growing, Satsuki said, "You're right about that."

Pressing their foreheads together, Ryuko grinned like an idiot. She couldn't help it; she loved when Satsuki smiled genuinely. She didn't have any idea as to why she liked it so much, she just did. Feeling the heat on her face, Ryuko rubbed Satsuki's cheek with her thumb, kissing her again.

They passed gentle kisses back and forth, Satsuki's arms tightening around Ryuko's waist when she sucked on Satsuki's lower lip particularly hard. In some sort of retaliation, Satsuki gently bit on Ryuko's lip and pulled, making her gasp and groan.

Opening her eyes, Ryuko broke away, breathless. Looking at Satsuki, she could tell she was fighting a smile. Blowing her hair out of her eyes dramatically she said, "Shit, you wear me out, you know that?"

Chuckling, Satsuki kissed the hollow of Ryuko's throat, sighing into her skin. If she wasn't blushing before, Ryuko was sure she was now. Looking up, Satsuki said, "Your face is so red right now," pulling the collar of Ryuko's t-shirt lower she kissed where the fabric had been, going lower, "What are you so embarrassed about? We've done more than this."

It was true, Ryuko slid her hands into Satsuki's hair cradling the back of her head, "I'm not sure, actually," leaning down she started peppering kisses down Satsuki's throat, one hand trailing down to her collarbone. "Maybe it's cause when you smile you become, like, five hundred times more beautiful, if that's even fucking possible."

Feeling heat under her lips, Ryuko blinked in surprise. Looking up, she saw Satsuki's cheeks were pinker than before. Glancing at her neck, she saw the heart of the blush blooming from her chest. Ryuko laughed, "Oh ho! What are you so embarrassed about?"

Satsuki mumbled something about overemotional fools and sank further into the couch. Glancing at the clock on the other side of the room, Ryuko practically jumped out of her skin. "Shit! It's fucking five o'clock already!"

"You'd better get ready, then."

Running up the stairs to her room, Ryuko ripped off her shirt to change into her uniform, missing Satsuki's stare. Leaving the door open in her rush, she put on an old white button-up dress shirt with a clean navy skirt, grabbing her jacket on the way out.

Meeting Satsuki's eyes, still on the couch, Ryuko grinned while walking down the stairs, "Where you watching me change? That's not something a prestigious student council president should be doing, you know."

Stopping at the back of the couch, she was close enough to see Satsuki's blown out pupils, making her grin wider. "I'll do what I please."

Getting up, Satsuki stretched and got her bag, looking at Ryuko's legs every few seconds. Ryuko walked up to her laughing and said, "I forgot how much you like me in skirts." Satsuki just hummed, bringing her free hand to the hem of her skirt, rubbing the fabric between her fingers.

"Come on, I don't wanna be late. It's weird enough you even wanna come to this thing." Snapping her head up, Satsuki said, "Why is that weird?"

Ryuko shrugged, stepping away to walk towards the door, "I dunno. I'll just be doing problems on a board. Plus, you have to be quiet."

Following her, Satsuki sighed, "You know, most people would be nervous. This is to be in the Math Olympics. It's amazing you've gotten this far without really trying."

Blushing, Ryuko opened the door, "It's whatever. I won't say I'm not excited. Plus, they don't take off points for not showing work, which is, like, the only reason I entered the competition in the first place."

Satsuki rolled her eyes, stepping out of the house, watching Ryuko lock the door behind them, "I'm coming because I want to support you, it doesn't matter if you feel like what you're doing is insignificant. You're very talented, I can tell from the miniscule amount of effort I see you've put into this."

Grabbing Satsuki's hand and kissing her fingers, Ryuko mumbled her thanks and led them down the street to the auditorium.

* * *

Taking a deep breath, Ryuko looked out at the audience. She didn't like these types of things, much; competitions in math. She had done them when she was younger, but they got old after a while. In some ways, she felt used. Remembering the last competition she was in, Ryuko tightened her grip on her hip, frowning.

That was the last straw for her. After winning, she had been walking to the parking lot to find her father when a bunch of the competitors came up to her. They accused her of cheating and with Ryuko being who she was, they really should've thought before they tried to pick a fight with her. Banned from competition for physical violence, Ryuko never went to another middle school event.

Satsuki never doubted her, though. If she was being honest with herself, she was doing this competition because Satsuki had mentioned it a few months ago, saying she thought Ryuko would do fairly well. She liked doing academic things well in front of Satsuki. It made her feel less mediocre.

"Okay! With introductions out of the way, let's begin!"

Blinking, Ryuko came back to the present, finding Satsuki's eyes in the audience and fighting a smile. Turning, she came face to face with a blackboard. The name of the game was to solve the problems given with the fastest time.

Ryuko cracked her knuckles, getting ready. She was gonna show off this time, she wanted to see the look on Satsuki's face when she wiped the floor with these pigs.

Realizing what she had just thought, Ryuko laughed to herself. Satsuki was rubbing off on her, not that it was a bad thing. It was a great thing, actually. _Satsuki's so great, _Ryuko thought with a smile. Taking a deep breath, she cleared her mind.

As the first problem appeared on the projector in front of the competitors, Ryuko set to work. In the back of her mind, she remembered a time when Satsuki had mentioned that her eyes glazed over a bit when she did math. She could feel what she meant now.

She didn't even have to think about moving her arm to write, it was already on the board, writing her thoughts as she solved the problem as quick as she could. Tapping the call bell on her right, signaling she was finished, the room remained silent. She turned around to look at the judges.

They were giving her that look; it was almost like a deer in the headlights. Sighing, Ryuko found Satsuki's eyes again. Even Satsuki looked taken aback. Looking at her feet, Ryuko tried to breathe. It was almost suffocating, the amount of attention on her.

Taking controlled breaths she thought, _I shouldn't have done it that fast. Goddammit! _Even while chastising herself she couldn't help the immense internal satisfaction at Satsuki's surprise. Biting her lip to keep from grinning, Ryuko heard a bell from the other side of the stage, signaling another person had finished the problem.

* * *

"Is that how fast you can do it when you try?"

Turning to her left in the otherwise empty hallway, Ryuko saw Satsuki coming towards her. "Mostly, yeah. Depends on some other stuff."

Closing the space between them, Satsuki placed her hand on Ryuko's outer thigh, fingers dancing just underneath her skirt, saying, "You didn't look bored."

Eyes connecting with Satsuki's, Ryuko said, "You're surprised?"

Satsuki hummed, "You look bored all the time. Well, when you're not talking to anyone."

Inching her face closer, Ryuko said just above a whisper, "I'm never bored when I'm with you." Gently grabbing Satsuki's face, Ryuko pressed her lips against the older girl's, letting her affection speak for itself.

Pulling away, she saw Satsuki grin, "Good."

Wrapping her arms around Satsuki's lower back she brought them close enough to where their noses were touching. "I'm really happy I met you, even though you're kind of an asshole."

Satsuki chuckled, "I'm happy I met you, too," she paused, struggling to find the right words, suddenly serious, "You mean a lot to me."

Ryuko kissed her, "Why don't you just say you love me?" Satsuki's face instantly reddened.

"B-because! That implies—"

"No it doesn't, you can love someone and not be _in _love with them, although my feelings for you are becoming more of the latter, so don't use me as a reference point."

Face still red, Satsuki said, "In that case, then," she grabbed Ryuko's hip, meeting her eyes, voice almost inaudible, "I suppose I love you." It didn't matter to Ryuko how low Satsuki's voice went; she would always hear her.

Ryuko grinned stupidly, "You suppose? What!" Satsuki smacked her shoulder, hard. Her smile took some of the malice out of the hit, though.

Taking her hand and leading them down the hallway, Ryuko thought about how Satsuki let her see a side of her no one else saw, the gentle side, the side that showed affection. The side she would hopefully see for years to come. Ryuko kissed Satsuki's cheek, grinning. "Eh, I guess I love you, too."

Satsuki didn't even try to hide her smile, then.

* * *

A/N: hey! so I think that this is the end of the road for this story! D: sorry to cut it off without proper warning but it was either going to end in this update or the next. I do apologize for the delay, I've just got a lot of things going on and I had a bit of writers block for how to end this story. Anyways! Thank you so much for reading and leaving your thoughts :) This ending is a little open, so I may come back to it some day, but for now this is it! As always feel free to leave your thoughts and thanks for reading! have a great summer!


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